Everything is different with the new CBA. This trade is the first sign. Bloated contracts are worse value, even for talented players. Draft picks are more valuable.
A guy like Marcus Smart or Derrick White on cost-controlled contracts will be as valuable, if not more valuable, than Bradley Beal on his bloated contract.
It makes you wonder about Jaylen and his supermax. Just what will his trade value be after that deal?
I had been thinking it would similar to Khris Middleton's trade value on his most recent contract.
Jaylen is about to turn 27. So 28 in one years time, 29 in two years time. Not far off Bradley Beal at that point in age. Big difference in health. Jaylen typically misses 10-15 games or so but he hasn't missed anywhere near as much as Beal. So he should not have that problem. But just how much could you expect to get back in a future trade for Jaylen post-super max? It doesn't look great.
You can move him, sure, but can you get equivalent value (on-court value)? How much of a drop off would there be? Is that difference in the future bigger or smaller than the possible drop-off in trading Jaylen now before the super-max with only 1 year left on his contract? Where is Jaylen's trade value higher and where lower?